DIABALY // It was not easy to seize back this small town in central Mali from the rebels who stormed it last week.
French fighters strafed it for days before Malian and French troops finally rolled in on Monday, hoping that the mishmash of armed Islamists and Tuareg rebels who had surged south to overrun Diabaly had gone.
But far tougher battles may lie ahead as French officials insist that it must be African soldiers who take the lead in the push toward the country's northern area held by rebels for more than nine months.
Questions loom over whether the Malian army, in particular, has the training, equipment and, crucially, popular support to go it alone.
With increased deployment of ground forces - more than 2,000 - and equipment, France has demonstrated that it is serious about its aim of retaking the north of Mali from the three militant groups - Ansar Eddine, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa - and their allies who violently imposed Sharia there last year.
As many as 4,000 soldiers from France, Mali and other African countries could be needed for the mission, and donations are being solicited at an African Union conference later this month for a year of operations. But the message has been clear: French spokesmen on the ground have insisted their role is to support Malian troops, and French officials have said that it must be an African force in the lead.
On the ground in this tribally, ethnically and religiously diverse country, where the military have had a mixed record on loyalty and human rights, complications are already evident.
There were chickens pecking round the feet of Abdullahi Dagnon, the acting chief of Diabaly, as he explained that there was a small number of very devout Muslims in the town whom he thinks would be sympathetic to rebel forces.
These people, whom he referred to as followers of the Dawa ideology and as Wahhabists, welcomed the militants, he said, and approved of their form of Islam. "They are not a lot," he said, "but they are very devoted and courageous."
Dawa preachers - Dawa means "call" and the practice involves evangelism - travel from house to house teaching Islamic scripture and sleep in the mosques. Most are from outside the town, he said, but anyone was free to join them.
Such people, he said, are not fond of the army. "Maybe they think they are better Muslims," he said, but there may be a more direct reason.
In September last year, 16 men, said to be Mauritanian Dawa preachers, were gunned down at a checkpoint in Diabaly, where there is an army base, after their vehicle failed to stop at a checkpoint. Mauritanian officials were furious and the incident is infamous locally.
Mr Dagnon called the incident regrettable and said that there were rumours in the town that the militants' seizing of the the town last week was "a kind of revenge" for the incident.
Moussa Keita, the imam of a Diabaly mosque that embraces a strict version of Islam, denied that he or any of his followers helped the rebels. "They said this because their trousers are short and our trousers are short, they have beards and we have beards," he said.
But soldiers said they believed that local people had given shelter to the rebels, and another local leader in nearby Niono reflected the deep suspicions of devout Muslims in an area.
"They are the same," said Demba Diarra, of the slain preachers and the fighters. They were both his enemies, he said.
The allied forces may also struggle to find support within the Tuareg ethnic group. Tuareg independence fighters, who have long called for their own state in northern Mali, where their population is concentrated, initially took advantage of a power vacuum following last year's military coup to storm the north.
They were then marginalised by Islamist extremist groups, but some Tuareg fight alongside the militants still, and there is profound mistrust of the group by many black Malians.
"Now that there is a problem, there is a war, the Islamists are fighting the locals and the locals are pointing fingers at the Tuaregs," said Adama Coulibaly, a resident of Dongolé village near Niono with a Tuareg civilian population.
"The Islamists and the Tuareg rebels are the same," he said, adding, "I don't trust them." The Tuareg civilian residents of his village were in hiding, he said.
Once again, the problem seems likely to be compounded by army brutality. Human Rights Watch reported this week that it had received credible reports that Malian soldiers had recently killed Tuareg civilians and defected Tuareg soldiers.
In Diabaly, which has now become a town of soldiers - patrolling streets, mending jeeps and lounging - Mamadou Konné, a soldier from the south, said he was optimistic about the war. But when asked if he trusted the Tuaregs, his answer was simple: "You cannot trust someone who is fighting you."
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GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
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2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
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Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
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The specs
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KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
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Live: On beIN Sports HD
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
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Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
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DSC Eagles 23 Dubai Hurricanes 36
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Tries: Bright, O’Driscoll
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey 3
Hurricanes
Tries: Knight 2, Lewis, Finck, Powell, Perry
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New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
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British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
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Conversions: Farrell
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
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Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
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Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
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Director: Tom Tykwer
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Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
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Oscar (90)
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
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- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
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All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)
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Our legal consultant
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Arsenal's pre-season fixtures
Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney
Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney
Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai
July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing
July 29 v Benfica in London
July 30 v Sevilla in London
